Tag: outfits of the week

I don’t have the perfect life—and some months are harder to get through than others. November was a tough one: my mental health is suffering; my job is, at times, challenging; and the month ended with some particularly disheartening and upsetting family drama.

I think, too often, we all get caught up in depicting a picture-perfect life with beautifully curated photos (that we’re reluctant to admit are only a few among dozens we took before we got the right one to post and share) and cherry-picked anecdotes (that leave out all of the messy, unflattering things that happen in between). We only show parts of our lives, partly because it’s completely unrealistic to share everything and partly because who wants to admit they’re struggling?

But we’re all struggling, at least in some way, and we’ve all got things going on in our lives at any given moment that may be vexing us, hurting us, or challenging us.

I try my best to keep this in mind as I scroll through my social media feeds day after day, seeing only the highlights from the lives of friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, high school classmates, and celebrities, but sometimes it’s can be tough to keep that in perspective.

So, this is me, reminding myself that it’s all right if everything isn’t all right.

And also reminding myself that there’s nothing wrong with having a highlight reel if for no one but ourselves so that we can look back on the time (which goes by too quickly!) and appreciate the things we have. As someone who struggles with mental illness in the form of anxiety and depression, I often have trouble keeping things in perspective, of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and sometimes of just making it through the day. But I know that these monthly check-ins, where I look back on the month I’ve just experienced, are providing me with the ability to feel grateful for what I have even on days that feel dark.

With that said, there were many beacons of light that I experienced in November, which I’ve got to remind myself of: a perfect trip to Portsmouth with Bill; the satisfaction of a job well done on a massive project I worked on at work; beautiful sunsets; a rainbow; a book of poems I devoured; warm hot chocolate; a glowing Christmas tree in my wonderful home; a new therapist; a drag show featuring a few of my favorite RuPaul’s Drag Race queens; hundreds of happy moments with Bill; lots of dog kisses from Obi; making new friends at work; thoughtful daily texts from my Grandma; meme-sharing with my wonderful brother; laughter with friends, both online and off.

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Dress: Ann Taylor via 20 Below Boutique in Portsmouth

Tights: We Love Colors

Boots: Payless

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Shirt: Target

Scarf: Unsure!

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: DSW

Cozy, winter sweaters were what I lived in this month. I’m not a huge fan of the look of this one, but this is the same exact sweater (except for color) as the photo at the end of this post. In that photo, I think the sweater looks great. What gives?

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Sweater: Old Navy

Leggings: Kohl’s

Boots: DSW

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Sweater: Forever 21

Leggings: Kohl’s

Boots: DSW

Bill called this my “Lorelai Gilmore” look, which delighted me.

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Sweater: Forever 21

Jeans: Old Navy

Boots: DSW

Not really an outside-of-the-house outfit, but still! Festive!

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Sweater: Walmart

Leggings: Walmart

Sweater boots: Payless

This is one of my new favorite shirts! I added a Hocus Pocus patch, which I nabbed in Portsmouth (the patch itself is made by Laser Brain Patch Co.) to a cheap, black crewneck sweatshirt I grabbed on Amazon for $8. I got a ton of compliments on it and feel super proud even though all I did was iron the patch on.

The sun was back, so it was a good week! At work, we were preparing for commencement, and I’m into my second week of the social media course I’m taking. PLUS, I can’t stop buying new clothes, somebody please send help!

Here’s what I wore this week.

I’m so pumped to have rediscovered this sweater. Polka dots are my favorite, and this tan color is fab.

Outfit details

Sweater: Old Navy (like, three years ago, sorry!)

Pants: Walmart

Shoes: Payless

The eyeglasses dress made its triumphant return this week. While I wore it, I also met a stormtrooper.

And he now lives in my house.

Outfit details

Dress: Forever 21

Cardi: Old Navy

Tights: We Love Colors

I’m not convinced this cardigan (a peach color) worked well with the dress (which is a bit more pink), but ah well.

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Dress: Fashion to Figure

Cardi: Old Navy

Shoes: Payless

I got a few compliments on this ampersand tank top today. It was the perfect, casual outfit to chaperone a senior picnic!

How is it May already? And why is it so cold even though it’s May? Like, it’s so uncharacteristically chilly and gray and rainy and sad that I’m starting to feel like I may never see the sun again. Sun, where are you? I miss you. Come home soon.

Here’s what I wore this week.

This polka-dotted dress kicked off the week. Seeing it in this photo, I’m not sure I love it.

Outfit details

Dress: Modcloth

Cardi: Old Navy

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Payless

Outfit details

Dress: Modcloth

Cardi: Old Navy

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: I’m not wearing any in this pic, but big shock, the ones I wore are from Payless. 😉

Forever obsessed with these pastel pants. I needed them to brighten up the rainy week.

Outfit details

Shirt: Old Navy

Tank top: Old Navy

Pants: Rainbow

Shoes: Payless

How cute is this sweater?! I found it while “shopping” in my own closet and digging through old clothes.

I felt cute enough in it to take a few selfies.

Outfit details

Sweater: Old Navy (like a zillion years ago)

Pants: Rainbow

Shoes: Payless

I also re-discovered this shirt, WHICH I ALSO NOW LOVE. Guys, shopping in your old, packed away clothes is the best. Everything is new again and you don’t have to spend any money!

Work was crazy this week, but there were definitely some shining moments. LIKE THAT TIME I HUNG OUT WITH A CROCODILE. For real. Pics below.

Here’s what I wore! (P.S. Notice the better lighting? I switched my closet to the other room, which offers more light. Yay! Photo quality is still just okay, but I may switch to a better camera soon. No promises.)

Do I look like spring? That was my goal.

Outfit details

Dress: Fashion to Figure

Cardigan: Old Navy

Shoes: Payless, but I’m not wearing them in the photo. Sue me.

The sudoku dress made its triumphant return. For the longest time, it was a smidge too small, but it fits perfectly now so I want to wear it all the time. Plus, it’s hard to resist a dress with pockets!

Also, this was the day I held a crocodile named Darth Vader. No bigs.

It was an important week at the college where I work and, as part of that, they brought in a bunch of animals for the students to meet. Thankfully, I was able to get in on that and made friends with a lynx, lemur, ferret, skunk, and a crocodile (among other animals). Greatest day ever?

Outfit details

Dress: Modcloth

Cardigan: Old Navy

Shoes: Payless

It was a little chilly this day, so I needed tights. Sigh.

Outfit details

Dress: Forever 21

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Payless

I’ve been dying to wear this new cardi/dress combo! The cardigan—loose, dolman shape—matches this white and mustard striped dress perfectly. It’s been sitting in my closet for weeks because I refused to wear this dress with black leggings or tights. So happy to wear it, and I got a lot of compliments on it!

Outfit details

Dress: Old Navy

Cardigan: Old Navy

Shoes: Payless

I felt like I had nothing to wear on Friday. It was one of those mornings spent trying tons of things on and getting mad at everything I tried on. I finally settled on this floral dress, which was okay, but not quite what I wanted to wear. You know? Clothes are complicated.

Outfit details

Dress: Fashion to Figure

Cardigan: Forever 21

Shoes: Payless

My favorite outfit was Wednesday’s yellow frock. I loved that it was monochromatic.

It was my last week before heading to Disney World and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which means it was automatically a good one (even if I did stay home one day this week sick).

PLUS. I MET LAUREN GODDAMN CONRAD. More on that another day, but it was a good fucking week.

Here’s what I wore! (Warning: my pics weren’t so great this week. Sue me.)

Outfit details

Dress: Fashion to Figure

Leggings: Old Navy

Cardigan: Forever 21

Shoes: Payless

I saw this dress and needed it instantly. The colors are so spring-y, and it was absolutely perfect to wear to meet…

LAUREN CONRAD!

AHHHHHHH! My face is the literal epitome of “OHMYGOD.” Like, I could not be smiling any harder (proof that I totally wear my heart on my sleeve). Needless to say, that is not the smile I intended to have in this photo, but I was just so excited to finally meet Lauren Conrad, who I’ve loved since I was in high school, that I couldn’t help it.

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Dress: Fashion to Figure

Tights: WeLoveColors

Cardigan: Old Navy

Shoes: Payless

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Shirt: Old Navy

Pants: Rainbow

Shoes: Payless

The print is really what makes this shirt great.

Cute, right?

Outfit details

Shirt: Old Navy

Tank: Old Navy

Leggings: Rainbow

Shoes: Payless

I just realized I wore the exact same flats every day this week.

My favorite thing I wore this week was my pink, mint green, and black dress. But I also loved what I wore yesterday, too. It was plain, but I felt cute in it. I’ve had that shirt for a while but didn’t fit into before—and now I do!

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It wasn’t feeling like spring, but goddamnit, I was going to force it anyway.

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Dress: Fashion to Figure

Leggings: Old Navy

Cardigan: Forever 21

Shoes: Payless

GUYS. These jeggings are my new favorite. I found them at Walmart (I was totally not there to shop for clothes, but these things happen, you know?). I had to resist the urge to buy 20 pairs, mostly because I’m going on vacation soon and really need to not be spending a gazillion dollars on leggings. So, I allowed myself one pair. And guess what? It rang up as $1. The clothes gods were in my favor that day, so now when I wear them, I feel extra great in them. One of my coworkers described them as “like buttah” which I loved, and I told Bill that they felt like wearing a warm hug. So good.

Outfit details

Leggings: Walmart

Top: Old Navy

Tank: Old Navy

Boots: Rainbow, I think?

This was my fave outfit of the week. I love this dress! Here’s a close-up of the pattern.

Hearts! And a little bow! Ahhh, I die. My work bestie described these hearts as reminiscent of the Webdings font and she could not have been more accurate.